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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24394885">Karma Police</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/illyrilex/pseuds/illyrilex'>illyrilex</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>King of Fighters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Collaboration, Drinking, Friendship, Gen, PTSD, Past Rape/Non-con, Triggers, Violence, mild drug use, rape mention</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:27:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24394885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/illyrilex/pseuds/illyrilex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Collaboration with FFN's jojoDO: Mary's fierce dedication to protecting her loved ones pushes her to call in a favour.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Creep</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh, shit! Hi everyone! So, I was in creative limbo in regards to the direction of Kingverse, and where things could go next, when a little birdy called jojoDO decided to have a chat with me in regards to certain plot points and loose ends, which turned into... a collab! So, if you're new here, I assure you that the water's fine, and you'll find some handy notes at the end of this chapter, though I reckon you should be able to glean plenty from context alone, though, if you want to play catch-up, I won't mind at all. (Start with Much Like Suffocating.) Though, if you're not trying to play catch up, here are the Cliffs Notes: Mr. Big ordered a hit on King, things got way out of hand as she was very violently beaten and violated by one of the two legbreakers sent after her. PTSD ensues as she jogs down a long road to recovery that involves her bestie (Mary) kneecapping the culprit (twice!), a lot of emotional turmoil, a hookup with Vanessa, a guest appearance by Athena, some major drama with Ryo after he finds out, and... yeah. There's a lot to process there. Whew.</p><p>And, now, a word from jojo!</p><p>Hey it's jojoDO. The guy who writes those awesome Kumites. But enough about that, I'm here to do a kickass collab and drink root beer, and I'm all out of...well actually I never run out of root beer hehe. Anyways, the totally awesome and gorgeous illyrilex was kind enough to entertain this crazy idea of mine, and thus...this was born. Whatever this is. Please enjoy the fruits of our combined might : )</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>The new normal was... decidedly <em>not</em> normal.</p>
<p>Southtown's popular bar, Illusion, had been closed for over two months. Maybe. The owner, a woman called King, had honestly lost track of the days since she had been ordered by the city to close up shop indefinitely. Just like she had lost track of what time was in the first place. One of her customers once went on a drunken rant about it being a "social construct," and while King didn't exactly believe that then, it was kind of hard to deny it now because, if it hadn't been her turn to pay the place a visit she probably would have schlepped around her apartment, cat in her arms, trying to figure out what day it was.</p>
<p>And, so, she trudged up to the bar and stood motionless in front of the locked doors, a little dejected and maybe even a little disoriented by being out of her apartment in the first place, which, when she thought about it, was kind of weird, as it had been the same song and dance since the place closed all those weeks ago: Alternate with her employees every few days to come in, mix a few house specials, and deliver them to the handful of customers who were aware that they were offering the carry-out service in the first place. Rinse and repeat every few days.</p>
<p>But as King reached for her keys she couldn't help thinking that something was off. She tried to chalk it up to her frazzled nerves (being anywhere but home was legitimately a bit stressful thanks to the status quo), but, as a fighter, her instincts were pretty sharp; she had always known when things weren't "right"... and something wasn't right. Even worse was that this wasn't the first time she had felt so oddly when visiting Illusion over the past week or two. Nevertheless, she unlocked the door, and, with a quick glance at her surroundings, walked inside the dark bar. She used her foot to gently kick the entryway closed while she peeled off the disposable gloves she had elected to wear for the simple task of touching the door handle and remotely disarmed the alarm. She then locked up, made a beeline to the counter, tossed the crumpled up nitrile in the trash, and (with a huge sigh) looked at all of the liquor on the shelves in front of her.</p>
<p>The lifelessness of the bar was equal parts depressing and maddening. King had put so much into running the place: Seeing it barren and watching her employees struggle to make ends meet now that they were no longer taking home their usual tips was enough to make her want to plop down on the floor with an entire bottle of wine and go to town while lamenting the shape of things, but that simply wasn't an option. She had a job to do, and she was going to do it, damn it! With that in mind, she ran a hand through her hair, turned on some music, and set to work.</p>
<p>###</p>
<p>King didn't know how long she had spent mixing drinks when the earlier feeling of unease hit her again. She abruptly stopped what she was doing, turned the volume on the stereo down, and did a quick walkthrough of the entire place. Absolutely certain that she was alone, she made her way back to the counter, where she pulled her phone from her pocket, set it down on the shiny wooden surface, and brought up her Favorites list. She hit the appropriate buttons and waited until:</p>
<p>""Sup, bb?"</p>
<p>Mary Ryan's voice floated into the empty bar, filling King with a little bit of relief. She rested her elbows on the counter and made a face.</p>
<p>"I need somebody to keep me company," she stated plainly.<br/>
"You know I love you, but why not Yuri or Mai?"<br/>
"Last time I talked to Yuri she was stoned out of her mind and babbling about church and possibly wanting to date me. And Mai, well… I probably could have called her, but I wouldn't want to ruin her fun."<br/>
"You mean you didn't want to interrupt her and Andy," Mary corrected.<br/>
"No, I mean… well, yes, but I was referring more to the cow onesie."<br/>
"Oh, that. Yeah. She's been having a ball with that thing."<br/>
"I'm glad somebody is…"<br/>
"What? Having balls?"</p>
<p>Both women snickered before Mary said, "Don't worry, bb. I'm sure you'll have some balls of your own some day."</p>
<p>"Don't want them," King replied somewhat distractedly as she brought herself upright and started hosing out the sink. "Don't need them, either. They're too much trouble."<br/>
"Fair enough," Mary responded. "So are you at the bar?"<br/>
"Yeah. Mixing a few drinks so they'll be ready for Elizabeth when she comes in."<br/>
"Oh she's not there yet?"<br/>
"No. It doesn't really matter —" King turned the sink off — "because we haven't had any orders today anyway."<br/>
"That's depressing."<br/>
"Yeah…"</p>
<p>King started to turn away with the express purpose of grabbing a shot glass and the raspberry vodka behind her but stopped when something outside caught her attention. Even though the mesh blinds were down she could make out a shadow on the sidewalk. It must have been someone reading the sign on the window. Nevertheless, she stayed still.</p>
<p>"I think I've spent too much time at home," she told Mary slowly.<br/>
"Why's that?"<br/>
"Because there's somebody outside and it's making me nervous."<br/>
"It's not Liz?"<br/>
"...no…"<br/>
"You don't think someone would be stupid enough to try to break in, do you?"<br/>
"I don't… think so," King mumbled thoughtfully, her eyes fixed on the shadow.<br/>
"Uh-oh. I know that tone. Be careful if you're gonna check it out," Mary warned. "I don't want you to do anything reckless…"<br/>
"That's why you're coming with me."</p>
<p>King plucked the phone from the counter and clutched it in her hand as she carefully approached the front of the establishment.</p>
<p>"Isn't this how horror movies start?"<br/>
"Probably," King answered, "but I'm too pretty to be killed in the first act."<br/>
"Yeah, you're definitely Final Girl material."</p>
<p>Brow furrowed, King continued toward the window but stopped when the shadow moved away, completely out of sight. With a sigh of relief she leaned against a nearby table.</p>
<p>"All good?" Mary inquired.<br/>
"Yeah," King replied. " But I should probably go. Elizabeth will be here any second, and the last thing you need is to hear us arguing about whatever bullshit she'll be on today."<br/>
"Aw, but your arguments are always so funny."<br/>
"It's nice that you can find pleasure in —"</p>
<p>At that moment the door shook, as if someone was trying to open it. King jumped, startled, but then instantly composed herself and made a face.</p>
<p>"Speak of the devil. Looks like she forgot her keys."<br/>
"Well, go let her in. I'll talk to you later."<br/>
"Bye," King sang as she walked over to the entrance. She stowed her phone in her back pocket, undid the locks, and opened up the door to see… nothing. There was no sign of Elizabeth anywhere; hell, there wasn't a single sign of <em>life</em> anywhere. At least, that's how it appeared at first, but a more thorough sweep of the area showed that King, who had stepped outside, wasn't <em>completely</em> alone out there: A few masked stragglers were entering or leaving their own establishments; a small car sped by, blasting through the stop sign on the corner without a second thought; a person stood across the street, looking down at his phone…</p>
<p>King pressed her lips in a thin line. She shook her head, ready to go back inside, but instantly froze when the man on his phone glanced up from his small screen. Her blood ran cold as the stranger looked directly at her and casually waved, his features instantly recognizable. Her hands involuntarily shook as memories of that time — of <em>him</em> — relentlessly attacked her: his breath on her ear when he grabbed her from behind; his voice when he told her he'd blow her head off. She remembered the feel of the cold steel in his hand as he pressed it against her jawline, and again when he struck her with it.</p>
<p>Almost as if he could hear her inner thoughts, the man took his two fingers and pressed them against <em>his</em> jawline. He grinned, mouthed the word "bang," and pantomimed pulling a trigger.</p>
<p>Under normal circumstances King would have rushed across the street and beaten the man senseless. Hell, she desperately <em>wanted</em> to but, for some reason, she found herself completely unable to move — unable to utter a sound, even. After all, if it hadn't been for him she would have absolutely <em>destroyed</em> his accomplice that day before turning her attention (and her kicks) back to him. Both thugs would have been decimated for daring to lay a single finger on her before she went about her business: She would have met up with Yuri and Mai at their designated spot on Fourth, and they would have had their dinner and their drinks and their fun and they would have seen their movie if it hadn't been for him and his pal. But he had caught her off guard… and, because of him his pal had gained the upper hand. He savagely beat her before he —</p>
<p>"Boss?"</p>
<p>King didn't take her eyes off the man across the street, even when Elizabeth strolled over. Paralyzed, she watched him saunter off and disappear around the corner, her mouth agape, as she unconsciously brought a trembling hand up to the scar on the left side of her forehead — a harsh reminder of what happened to her that day.</p>
<p>"BOSS!"</p>
<p>Elizabeth's hand waving up and down directly in front of her face snapped King out of her trance. Without moving she switched her gaze to her employee, who was, as always, annoyed.</p>
<p>"Is there a <em>problem</em>?" she asked.<br/>
"I… ou-ouais," King stammered as the English language started to fail her. "Cette… putain de connard…! Je… I… have to…!"</p>
<p>With that, King abruptly started down the sidewalk, away from Elizabeth and the building, her temper starting to flare. She didn't know how that son of a bitch was out of prison, but she was <em>not</em> going to let him get the better of her again; she was <em>not</em> going to let him reduce her to nothing more than tears and torment and trauma. She broke into a run, with Elizabeth angrily calling out behind her, but she didn't care: this was her chance at revenge for what was done to her. And while it would have been much sweeter if it was… <em>him</em>… the gunman was going to be a more-than-suitable replacement.</p>
<p>...at least, that's what King wanted to believe, but as she sprinted down the block she was hit with memory after memory of that incident; things she never wanted to think about for the rest of her life clouded her mind. She finally reached the end of the street and looked both directions, barely aware of the tears that were spilling down her cheeks as she realized that he was gone. Hands still shaking, she hastily wiped her face and took her phone out of her pocket. She stood in the middle of the sidewalk as she navigated the small screen, and then:</p>
<p>"Ooh, what'd she do this ti —"<br/>
"<em>What the fuck</em>, Mary?!"</p>
<p>King practically screamed into the gadget.</p>
<p>"Whoa, 'what the fuck' what?!" Mary exclaimed.<br/>
"Eleven years!" King burst. "He was sentenced to eleven years, why was he — how is he out?!"<br/>
"Who? Bb, what are you talking abo —"<br/>
"The-the <em>guy</em>! The one who — the one with the…! The… l'arme! L'homme armé!"<br/>
"That can't be right," Mary all but shouted. "I personally made sure he would do as much time as he possibly could for his crimes!"<br/>
"Well, he's out!"<br/>
"Bb, are you sure it was —"<br/>
"Do not <em>ask</em> me if I'm sure," King interrupted as she spun around so she could go back to Illusion. "Of course I'm sure! He waved at me! He… he…!"<br/>
"Tell me what happened!"<br/>
"I don't know. I don't know! One second he was standing across the street and- and he <em>waved</em> at me, and I couldn't…! I couldn't do anything...! I just… stood there while he walked off. I… I got my bearings enough to go after him, but he's just… gone. He's gone and I…"</p>
<p>King trailed off while she walked and did her best to stave off a panic attack while Mary thought out loud on the other end of the line.</p>
<p>"I don't get it…! He shouldn't be out! Not after everything I did! I had the DA throw everything at <em>both</em> of them, which means that someone must have —"<br/>
"Some… one's in... Big's pocket," King said between shallow breaths. "Wouldn't… wouldn't be the... first time…!"<br/>
"Breathe," Mary instructed firmly but gently.</p>
<p>It took several tries but King finally got her breathing under control just as she reached Illusion. She reentered the structure (Elizabeth gave her a Look), walked behind the counter, and grabbed the shot glass and vodka she planned to drink earlier.</p>
<p>"He better hope I don't find him," she growled as she poured the drink, her hands still shaking.<br/>
"Bb," Mary started, her high voice full of concern. "I know that you want to do all kinds of bodily harm to him, but don't put yourself —"<br/>
"In any danger? What else can happen to me now?! What. <em>else</em>?!"<br/>
"You can catch this plague and die," came Elizabeth's deadpan answer from the other end of the bar.<br/>
"FERME TA GUEULE ET FAIS TON BOULOT!" King bellowed before downing her liquor. She scowled as Elizabeth rolled her eyes and gave her the finger.<br/>
"Céc," Mary shouted. "Listen! Just chill out — don't make that face! — and <em>listen</em> to me!"</p>
<p>King gripped her phone in one trembling hand and the shot glass in the other while she willed herself to calm down. She had come way too far since <em>it</em> happened; she had finally come to terms with the event (as much as she could, anyway...) and was back to leading a (mostly) normal life, but this… this had the potential to just... wreck... everything...! Because if he could get out, then what was stopping... <em>him</em>… from —</p>
<p>"<em>Cécile</em>!"</p>
<p>Mary's yell surprised King. She pressed her lips together in a very thin line as she was hit by a massive tension headache.</p>
<p>"I'm listening," she said weakly.<br/>
"My hands are tied," Mary started. "If I wanna stay on the force — <em>and</em> keep my relationship — I have to make sure that I play nice. <em>Especially</em> after my last little skirmish, but, I mean... I'm not gonna let this slide."<br/>
"That doesn't help in the slightest."<br/>
"Hey. Do you trust me?"<br/>
"I — yeah! Of course," King answered without hesitation.<br/>
"Then trust me when I say I'm gonna make this right!"<br/>
"What does that <em>mean</em>?!"</p>
<p>There was a brief lull in the conversation where King thought the call must have surely dropped. She was about to ask Mary if she was still there but paused when she heard her let out a grim chuckle.</p>
<p>"It means I know a guy."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay! Illy here! Without further ado, here are those handy notes I promised:</p>
<p>* So, obviously, things are taking place in the current climate. Also, I know the wiki says that Southtown is in FL but it's set in California in my ficverse for a myriad of different reasons.<br/>* The cow onesie is inspired by some artwork that I saw on Twitter. I don't remember the artist's name, but they did a pic of Mai in a onesie that matched her SNKH bikini.<br/>* King and Elizabeth (one of the twin bartenders that works for her) do not like each other. Liz is constantly on the verge of being fired, but King recognizes that she's actually great at her job and has no real grounds for termination. Also, Elizabeth is aware of the rape. (Her sister, Sally, is not.)<br/>* Ouais = yes; Cette putain de connard = That fucking asshole<br/>* L'arme = Gun; L'homme armé = the guy with the gun; the gunman<br/>* Mary is fluent in French, German, and English (obviously)<br/>* Mary used her clout as Southtown PD's best detective, as well as her connections with the District Attorney, to get the driver and gunman put away for as long as possible.<br/>* Under California state law, the maximum sentence for aggravated kidnapping is eight years; eleven if the victim is a minor. Obviously King is not a minor, but, like, Mary. It is also possible for someone convicted of kidnapping to be put on probation, but, as part of that condition, they would have to serve a mandatory year in prison.<br/>* There's a lot of corruption within Southtown PD...<br/>* You know when you say something "triggered" you because it gets a reaction from you. Uh-uh. King's panic attack, and tears, and shaking, and memory flashes after seeing the gunman for the first time since the incident are all components of actually being triggered. Please do not use the term lightly, okay?<br/>* FERME TA GUEULE ET FAIS TON BOULOT = SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DO YOUR JOB<br/>* King's full name is Cécile Marie Levasseur because I spent two+ hours researching French baby names, and, also, shortening it to Céc plays on "Sis," which is the only other thing she has ever been canonically called<br/>* Yes, the title of this work, as well as the chapters, have all been brought to you by the band Radiohead ;)</p>
<p>That's a wrap on chapter one, you guys! Please feel free to tell jojo and I how you're feeling. What are you thinking? Who's the guy? What's gonna happen next?</p>
<p>Also, another word from jojo:</p>
<p>Please like, follow, and review. Please fuel this gal's lizard brain! She craves validation, you know. Little known fact ; ) Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Climbing Up the Walls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello my darlings, jojoDO here. Well, the ball is still in illy's court so far, but fear not, I'm throwing my hat in the ring soon enough. For now, enjoy and sympathize with our poor protag as she freaks out in her living room. Send her candies. Lots of candies. And I don't mean Jolly Ranchers.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>King paced around her apartment, restless. She had left Illusion shortly after seeing the gunman, with Mary on speakerphone for the entirety of the short drive home. Once she got in she made sure the locks on her door were firmly in place before immediately closing every window blind and curtain. She then changed her clothes and threw them in the wash while telling herself she wasn't going to drink. She wasn't going to rely on any of the wine she had in the fridge to help her cope with her turbulent thoughts and feelings regarding what happened while she was at the bar. The single shot at Illusion was <em>it</em> — that was <em>all</em> she was going to have.</p><p>...Which was why she decided to dig into the small stash of edibles she was gifted right before the world stopped.</p><p>"For emergencies," Yuri had told her with a wide grin as she handed her two small tins of Keva gummy candies, which were both topped with little golden bows.</p><p>Obviously, seeing one of her kidnappers out on the street, and not being able to put him down, was a <em>big</em> fucking emergency.</p><p>However, King decided she wasn't going to have enough to get stoned out of her mind: The small dose she shakily ingested would be enough to take the edge off and help her relax — in theory, anyway, since the gunman was <em>somewhere</em> <em>out there</em>. How could she possibly relax when him and... <em>him</em>… had known exactly where to find her that day? They knew what moves she was going to make and when… which meant they likely knew her address… which meant she wasn't safe — not even at home.</p><p>It was because of that fact that King found herself surveying every square inch of her apartment, determining the spaces where she could most effectively execute her signature kicks or an elbow or two should she have to fight. What possessions could she use as makeshift weapons and how quickly could she reach them? Her wine glass collection was in a corner curio in the dining area, which, while devastating to damage or lose, would be fantastic in a pinch. Of course, that would only be necessary if someone made it inside without her taking them out with a well-timed foot, fist, elbow, or clean hit from one of the nearby dining table chairs first. She stopped a few paces from the door and threw a couple of punches and elbows, followed by a quick kick to gauge how much room she would need should she have to fight. The speed with which she moved scared the hell out of her cat, Marron, and caused him to take off toward the kitchen.</p><p>With a sigh King turned away so she could go into her bedroom. Although it was only the afternoon she felt so incredibly tired. Maybe even exhausted. She sat down on the bed, pushed her hair (which was getting too damn long thanks to quarantine) away from her eyes, and ran the tips of her fingers along her small scar. She shuddered as she thought of how much it bled— particularly after the driver busted it open and concussed her. It had taken four stitches to close it; four stitches that were accompanied by an embarrassing amount of <em>pity</em> from the doctor who sewed the injury up.</p><p>All because that bastard gunman had grabbed her and knocked her out.</p><p>Eyes burning, King reluctantly laid down. She turned so she was on her stomach before burying her face in one of her pillows and screaming in frustration as she thought about that day again and again. It was the first time in a long while that everything felt so vivid — so <em>fresh</em>. She couldn't remember the last time she experienced such visceral flashbacks of the incident or even had a panic attack in regards to it. She was in such a better place, and, now, in the span of a few seconds, everything was in danger of crumbling. <em>She</em> was in danger of crumbling.</p><p>And she didn't <em>want</em> that.</p><p>She didn't <em>want</em> to relapse into the mess of a person she had become in the wake of the attack: She didn't <em>want</em> to become depressed, or afraid, or self-destructive again. Yet, there she was — clutching a pillow against her face while holding back tears because that son of a bitch got out years early… and had the nerve to taunt her — to bring all of those memories back to the surface. Even some of the ones she completely repressed were starting to come out to ravage her. Defeated, she squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the pillow so hard that her fingers began to hurt.</p><p>PTSD was a hell of a drug.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi, guys. It's a me... illy, with some quick words. jojo and I are both aware that there's some very bad shit going on out there in the world, and I really struggled with deciding to even push this live what with everything that's going on. Obviously, if you're reading this that means that we went ahead and updated despite everything because, who knows... maybe some of you needed a distraction. I know that I did, personally.</p><p>With that being said, please remember these times, and remember who's out there and what they're fighting for. I'm not going to get all "political" in your fanfiction, but, just... be good to each other. Listen to your fellow humans and stand with them to end this shit.</p><p>Now, a couple of quick notes:</p><p>* In case you're new Yuri, despite having a very high pain tolerance (just like papa and big brother) uses edibles to treat severe migraines. Southtown has been set in CA (I think I mentioned this in the previous chapter? And, no, I don't give a single fuck about what the wiki says for reasons), where medicinal and recreational marijuana are both legal. Even though King doesn't do the stuff very often, Yuri is always willing to share with her friends don't judge her.<br/>* Keva candies are awesome. The gummies in question come in a variety of different flavours with additions to help with energy, sleep, etc.<br/>* One of the tins King was gifted contains the THC/melatonin combo. Melatonin, which is a naturally occurring chemical in the brain, promotes sleep.<br/>* About the scar: It's small enough that King can use her hair to hide it, though, in the (rare) instances when people notice it she tells them that she fell and hit her head on the corner of the coffee table. In reality, the gunman's knockout blow is what initially split the skin, but the assist from the driver is what pushed it to the next (very bloody) level.</p><p>And, from jojo:</p><p>Heyo. This is jojoDO. I'm getting my hands nice and sticky in the coming chapters, so prepare your minds and bodies. It's gonna be great. I mean it. Fav, follow and review! Validate our existence! Drink some root beer! Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Man of War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello darlings, it's jojoDO. illyrilex and myself are proud to present this chapter, a testament to our awesome collaborative efforts! We totally improv'd this, no joke. I was A, illy was B. I'm sure you can figure it out hehe. Anyways, this was extremely fun, so please bask in the fun with us and enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mary only made it as far as the number pad before she just… stared. A long, drawn out, still gaze. It wasn't like one of those blank stares, where one would peer into the distance as if their mind was absent; she was perfectly lucid as she stared at the numbers in succession: from the 1 at the upper left corner, to the pound symbol on the bottom right. She stared… stared… her fingers had yet to solve the dilemma to move forward.</p><p>Could she do this?</p><p>It had always been so simple; she was never one to take bullshit sitting down. She was always, <em>always</em> there to back King up, to condemn and punish those who dared to compromise her… but it had been one time too many. Blowing the kneecaps off the bastard who did the deed, assaulting that clueless idiot Sakazaki (in public, no less)... the other countless, <em>countless</em> indiscretions… they'd finally caught up to her. She couldn't afford to fight anymore battles. They had become too numerous. She believed in the law and what its volition was, but even it had its limits… and neither she nor King could do what would truly bring them peace of mind and comfort. Not anymore. They were both, for lack of a better term, on eggshells. King had a little brother to think of; Mary, a man who needed her as much as she needed him.</p><p>But King — <em>Cécile</em> — needed her too, dammit! She <em>loved</em> King; for that woman, she would dish out one-hundred bullets or take one-hundred. And that scumbag, that… that piece of <em>filth</em> was out walking the streets; his mere existence was a plague to her, a painful rekindling of the horrors she suffered that night… and that worthless asshole had the balls to show up at her work place?! To flash his cocky little mug, and send those memories burrowing back into her brain, opening up even more scars than the one he left on her forehead?!</p><p>Hell no. Mary wasn't having <em>that</em> shit. Not now. Not ever.</p><p>That man deserved to be punished! He deserved a fate worse than the "justice" which had been placed upon him by a legal system that failed too many times! Just <em>thinking</em> about how he got off so <em>easy</em>, as if the terror he put King through — those horrific, inhumane things that bastard driver did to her all because a gun was pressed to her head — was worth less than nothing in the eyes of law enforcement, as long as a few bucks were placed in their pockets…!</p><p>It made Mary <em>furious</em> at society. <em>Humanity</em>. The laws that governed them.</p><p>Suddenly, her finger felt all too smooth as it moved across the small screen, dialing the combination of digits she never thought she'd have to use. To go past the moral code she had sworn herself to and transcend the label of "good" to cross over into something less clear, more complicated… But was it worth it for Cécile Levasseur?</p><p>Absolutely.</p><p>Mary's thumb showed only a split second of hesitation before at last touching down on the green dial button. She pressed the phone to her ear; closed her eyes while a few lingering thoughts passed by.</p><p>
  <em>Ring…</em>
</p><p>How long had it been? She'd fought a few tourneys with the guy, but never made an effort to really keep in touch… what even was he to her? A… friend? Acquaintance? Maybe they had regressed to total strangers…</p><p>
  <em>Ring…</em>
</p><p>Maybe he didn't even remember her. Maybe he'd see the number and simply ignore it. They'd gotten along well enough, but… he was the kind of guy that didn't have the luxury of "friends." He lived in a different world — one that normal people remained ignorant of, and blissfully so. Even <em>she </em>didn't dare to tread there…</p><p>
  <em>Ring…</em>
</p><p>Maybe it was a mistake after all. What if he… what if he did something <em>heinous</em>? Whatever was going to happen, whatever was going to come next… it would be on <em>her</em> hands. He was a dog, and she was about to let the leash slip free.</p><p>...Who was she kidding, though?</p><p>Mary didn't feel remorse for this. It was so much different than Ryo; there was no depth to this situation, no dimensions, no nuances. It couldn't possibly be any more black and white than it was. The "Gunman" was a bad guy — plain and simple. Not a hint of gray to be found. Whatever terrible thing happened to him, the world would be better for it.</p><p>Suddenly, the ringing stopped.</p><p>It didn't go to voicemail… which could only mean <em>he</em> was on the other end.</p><p>"...Whoa. Is this who I think it is? Is that... is this number...?"</p><p>The voice on the other end seemed genuinely surprised.</p><p>"The one and only," Mary responded coolly.<br/>"BABY BLUUUUE! Well zip tie me and sell my fucking kidneys, I never thought I'd hear that lovely voice again! I hope you're not calling to tell me I have a warrant or anything. How's it hanging, gorgeous?"<br/>"Oh, you know — " Mary hit the speaker button before placing the phone down on the coffee table — "just fighting the good fight…"<br/>"Well, I wouldn't know anything about <em>that</em>."</p><p>A sharp cackle followed that statement.</p><p>"So what's the occasion? You must be really bored or just plain nostalgic to be calling me up."<br/>"Hmmmm. Not so much, really."</p><p>There was a very brief pause before Mary admitted, "Well, okay, maybe a <em>little</em> bored, but that's a separate thing."</p><p>"Awwww, not even a little nostalgic? A little smidgen? Hmph. So much for swapping old war stories. Well, lil' Blue, as much as I'd <em>love</em> to keep shooting the shit here, my time is kinda precious... so let's get down to it. Are you bugging this line? Leading one-hundred SWAT teams to my current location? What's up, what's up, what's UP? Tell me baby girl, 'cuz I NEED. TO. KNOW! Hehehehehe!"<br/>"I need... a <em>favour</em>," Mary stated slowly and deliberately while fixing her eyes on a painting across the room. She readied herself — for what, she didn't exactly know — and waited, waited, waited. Many seconds passed before the voice on the other side finally spoke again, this time taking a delighted tone:</p><p>"...A favour? A FAVOUR? Mary Ryan... are you calling me on BUSINESS?! Ohhhh ho ho ho. What. Is. THIS?! Do I sense a little taint in that blue blood?"</p><p>Mary narrowed her eyes.</p><p>"That doesn't matter," she responded. "I need something done, I can't do it myself — otherwise I <em>totally</em> would have already — so, like… I want <em>you</em> to do it for me."<br/>"Mm... sounds serious, if you can't do it. Well babe, I have to warn you: if you send me after 'em, they might not get read their rights."<br/>"This guy doesn't <em>have</em> rights," Mary exclaimed, "Not anymore! Not after what he did! Because of him —"</p><p>She quickly stopped herself from talking by shoving her own fist halfway in her mouth. She couldn't say too much; the less Yamazaki knew about the <em>whys</em> of the situation, the better.</p><p>"No... rights…"</p><p>The way he sounded it out... he must have been taking notes or something.</p><p>"Okay. So what package will you be ordering today? Cut, stab, eviscerate... all of the above?"</p><p>Mary gently bit down on her hand as she thought. Eviscerate was probably too much... stabbing, too — especially since King had once expressed a desire to break one of her most expensive bottles of wine for the express purpose of using it to poke many, many holes in Big's men. And while it was true that she was a little drunk at the time, Mary didn't want her to feel cheated. With that in mind she removed her fist from her mouth, wiped it on her pants leg, and, with an impassive shrug, said, "I dunno. Cut, I guess."</p><p>A bit of a pause. His voice came back seconds later, losing much of its excitement.</p><p>"...You called me after all this time just to cut someone? Sheesh, <em>you</em> could do much worse stuff than that. Care to upgrade a little? A little beating here, a curb stomp there... c'mon now, don't be shy. I'm giving you the Teammate Discount after all. What'd this guy do to you, anyway?"<br/>"He hur — it's not important. Are you in or?"<br/>"Sheesh, I don't even get to know what this poor sap did to receive the honor of my monstrous wrath? Not even a hint?"</p><p>Mary sighed. She couldn't — <em>wouldn't</em> — dare reveal King's secret (and <em>especially</em> not to this guy) but she knew that if she didn't give some kind of answer he'd probably be out. She bit her lip as she thought about what to say next. What would be the best way to put it without saying too much? After a moment, she finally lilted:</p><p>"Little cowardly boy likes to play with guns..."<br/>"Guns, eh? Now you're speaking my language. Always hated those fucking things. S'why I use a knife, ya know? I prefer my work on a more... <em>personal</em> level, heehehehehehehe... Well then, consider my appetite whetted. I'll do my job with EXTREME prejudice."<br/>"'<em>Extreme</em>,' huh?"<br/>"But of course! It's the special level of care you get only when you do business with Ryuji Yamazaki. I do love my work. Plus, it's not every day the fearless Mary Ryan asks a favour of little ol' me."<br/>"This isn't gonna be a regular thing you know," Mary told Yamazaki with a frown.</p><p>A low chuckle.</p><p>"Well in that case... I'll have to savor it to the last second."<br/>"Yeah —" Mary actually found herself smiling — "you do that. Savor every. last. second."<br/>"Mmmm I like when you talk like that. Okay, let's hear the deets then. What's he look like, where's he staying, how can I find him, etcetera etcetera."<br/>"Thought you'd never ask," Mary replied while grabbing her laptop. She inputted her password and navigated through subfolder after subfolder so she could pull up everything she had.</p><p>"What's your timeframe like?" She inquired curtly. "Like, how soon can you do this? Because I need it done fast."<br/>"Anytime, anywhere, my little taffy twister."</p><p>Mary made a face but continued combing through her files. Something occurred to her then — something she probably should have considered before even making the phone call in the first place.</p><p>"Hey," she said. "A question."<br/>"Shoot," came the reply, followed by a slight snicker, as if he was acknowledging his own terrible pun.<br/>"How do you feel about Mr. Big?"<br/>"<em>Big</em>?!"</p><p>A piercing, hyena-like cackle slightly disturbed Mary's ears.</p><p>"Big is a fucking asswipe and the biggest pussy I've ever had the displeasure of interacting with. If he was even worth the fibers of that ugly coat he wears, I'd cut off that stupid mustache and make him shit little black hairs. ...Why?"<br/>"So, hypothetically speaking," Mary began, ignoring the question, "if this... person... was one of his. You'd be cool with that?"<br/>"I'd be more than cool with it. I'd have a fucking field day!"<br/>"That's perfect," Mary beamed.<br/>"Say... when it's all said and done, maybe we could throw a few back? Preferably... uhh... without the Wolf man knowing about it."</p><p>There was a somewhat awkward chuckle after that last statement. It seemed that even Yamazaki respected the strength of Mary's Handsome Man.</p><p>"Ha. Maybe so," she said thoughtfully. "But not at Pao Pao. Richard's still a little pissed at me."<br/>"Is he, now?" A small chuckle. "Have you been making arrests like you're in an action cop movie again?"<br/>"Well, yeah, but whatever, that's not why."</p><p>There was silence while Mary pulled up the gunman's information. She scowled fiercely at the sight of him and his stupid name and his stupid face and his stupid rap sheet. In that moment she wished, more than ever, that <em>she</em> could be the one to go after him. In a perfect world she would break every wretched bone she could before placing Matilda against his temple and threatening to splatter his brain all over the walls. She'd even get to hand him over to King, who would no doubt take sadistic glee in crippling him herself.</p><p>But the world wasn't perfect — not even a little bit.</p><p>"Hey Ryuji."</p><p>Mary's childlike voice went almost unsettlingly low — a tell that she wasn't fucking around. She clenched her fists tightly and narrowed her eyes at the screen, her demeanor changing so much that her dog, Anton, hurriedly scurried to his bed on the other side of the living room and whimpered.</p><p>"Just so we're clear. I want you to put <em>fear</em> into him. I don't want him dead, and I don't want him to bleed <em>too</em> much, but I want him <em>scared</em>. The kind of scared where even <em>thinking</em> about what he did to—"</p><p>Mary quickly cut herself off before she could give away King's identity. She took a deep breath and sighed.</p><p>"I want him to feel every ounce of fear he gave his… victim," she resumed, her tone back to high, clear, and easy going.  "Tenfold."</p><p>She obviously couldn't see on the other side of the line, but she could just… <em>feel</em> him... smiling, from ear to ear, so hard his cheeks must have ached.</p><p>And finally, she heard two simple words in response:</p><p>"Satisfaction guaranteed."</p><p>The connection went dead after that, naught but a "beep!" indicating the call had ceased on her end. She looked at her phone and exited the screen. She snapped a photo of the image on her laptop and composed a quick text for Yamazaki before hitting send. She then set the device aside and leaned back in her recliner. She let out a long, passionate exhale before bringing her hands up to ruffle her hair. Being alone gave her time to collect her thoughts, and really… <em>measure</em> herself…</p><p>Thank god Terry wasn't around for this right now. The last thing she wanted was to drag him into it, much less be judged by his righteousness. He could do no wrong. She wished she could be like him: so ridiculously <em>good</em>, that even if her father's murderer stood right in front of her with a shit eating grin, she would turn the other cheek and maybe even shake the guy's hand.</p><p>But she couldn't. That mercy simply wasn't in her. She couldn't see into Terry's brain, but she knew that she just thought differently than he did. She was capable of things — to avenge her loved ones — that he wasn't. She'd proved it time and time again. Sometimes it really made her wonder if she was even fit to hold authority over others.</p><p>"What the hell did I just do…?" She murmured aloud into the quiet room, leaning back once again to sigh loudly, and look up at the ceiling. She wished <em>some</em> voice would answer back, to give her the moral enlightenment she sought… or maybe the judgement she deserved.<br/><br/>Too bad life was never that simple.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>jojoDO here, as always, sustain us with your glorious feedback. Seriously. We are crumbling to dust as I speak. Little pieces falling off. FEED OUR LIZARD BRAINS! Thank you, and until next time!</p><p>Hiiiii. As always, it's illy hopping in with the notes for anyone who's new or needs a refresher course!</p><p>* Mary kneecapped King's rapist twice: once when she arrested him in Much Life Suffocating, and again, in Red's side story, Bang.<br/>* She also personally arrested and interrogated the gunman.<br/>* Ryo discovered King's secret and alluded to her being with "too many men." This angered Mary, (and everyone, really) who, in Aftershocks, assaulted him at the Pao Pao Cafe.<br/>* Mary specifically calls Terry "Handsome Man" in one of their special intros.<br/>* Richard is pissed at Mary because of her attack on Ryo; not so much because she attacked him, but because she caused quite a scene.<br/>* Matilda is the name of Mary's gun, a standard issue Glock .22. This is a reference to Resident Evil 2, and Leon Kennedy.<br/>* As mentioned, Mary's tone will go really low when she's being Very Serious. Or scary. Or both. Homegirl is terrifying.</p><p>Okay, I think that does it for this installment! Join us next time for stuff! Thangs! And, yes, please! Feed the lizard brainnnnnsssssssssss! Cheers!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Gloaming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi~! It's illy this time, here to present an unplanned chapter. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A casual tune whistled on his lips as he stood outside the balcony of the hotel, gazing at the majestic hue of a sunset sky. The final moments before nightfall were so beautiful above this city… <em>his</em> city.</p><p>He continued to whistle on the way to his vehicle, going particularly slow, as he took in the diverse and wondrous scents around him, each one telling their own story: gasoline from passing vehicles, cigarette smoke, the waft of overdue garbage from nearby bins… the smell of sex and shamelessness eminating from him, from his armpits to his loins.</p><p>They all felt more special, because they were his. He was the king of this domain; his natural habitat, where the women were loose and the services accommodating. Sometimes, he felt drunk without even a swig of booze. That's what it did to him: power. He could do what he wanted, <em>when</em> he wanted. He could have whatever his heart desired, because he rolled with the group that sat on the throne of his miserable, beautiful city.</p><p>As the sun completed its final descent, welcoming darkness to the vast sky above, he unlocked his car and crawled into the driver's seat, shutting the door behind him. He gripped the wheel momentarily and prepared to turn the key… but he stopped. He didn't want to go home just yet. Not just yet… he had to bask. He had to take in the taste of freedom — of absolvement — just a little longer.</p><p>He thought about that night… the night that put him in the hole in the first place. He thought about <em>her</em>. Such a strong woman, that... "King" was… anyone could say that. Especially his boss. But she was the epitome of a glass cannon; her intensity and prowess belied such a fear and vulnerability inside her that it was <em>sinfully</em> tempting to peel back the layers and explore her soft core.</p><p>He remembered how he <em>didn't</em> want her that night. After she got him good and heated with that cheap shot, he let his partner (the lucky bastard) have all the fun. Not a day went by that he didn't regret it. He let his emotions get the best of him: anger and a rash decision. The hindsight tormented him, constantly pondering what he missed out on. Maybe she was ten times better than the whore he just left moments ago. Maybe she would've been the best he ever had.</p><p>Still, he couldn't help but laugh. They tried… oh they tried to put him away. Not in <em>his</em> town. Eleven years? Get the fuck out of here. He made the rules in the city, and <em>he</em> decided what was just and what was not.</p><p>...Maybe that's why he felt so compelled to stop by her workplace. Thousands of little voices told him it wasn't worth it; hell, even <em>Big</em> wasn't messing with her lately. But how… <em>how</em> could he stay away? Every fiber of his being pushed his body towards her, like an obsession. He wanted to see those frightened eyes, hear that voice with its adorable macho facade and lovely French expletives. Maybe one of the deeper impulses inside him was tempting him to poke the nest again, and see just how far he could go with... Cécile Levasseur... a second time. Maybe he'd even make up for past mistakes.</p><p>But no… the main reason he went there earlier? He just wanted to laugh. Laugh, mock, GLOAT… because he won. He and his partner put the almighty fear in her, and even though his cohort was still paying for the… "liberties" he took with her that night, here <em>he</em> still was, walking the streets. There was <em>nothing</em> she could do to him now. Not her, or that bitch cop, or anybo —</p><p>"Boo."</p><p>His muffled scream rang out inside the car, and was abruptly silenced.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Me again. I'm thinking this is pretty self-explanatory but I'll bite.</p><p>* The gunman was actually pretty passive in MLS, since the driver took charge. Although badly hurt, King was able to take him out with a nicely timed Hookbuster (you know, her throw where she knees and then uppercuts the opponent?).</p><p>* King's assailants learned her name when they ransacked the purse she had that night, as it had her driver's license in it.</p><p>* This guy is an asshole.</p><p>Okay! We made it through another! What will happen now that the gunman has been found? Where does everyone go from here? jojo and I would love to hear your thoughts! Until next time! Cheers~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. No Surprises</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>From jojo:</p>
<p>Hello peeps! We have arrived at the final chapter. And we went all out for this one; only our combined efforts could have brought it to fruition. I mean, we put in WORK. So please enjoy! We both had a blast with this, from start to finish, and we thank you for coming along on the ride!</p>
<p>And now, a quick word from illy: As jojo said, we did go all out, and, with that being said, we are going to have to drop a trigger warning on this installment due to some unforgiving violence, but, also, for mention of sexual assault/rape.</p>
<p>Onward~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>King was no stranger to sleepless nights.</p>
<p>During the early days of her recovery she would regularly go four, five, even six days with only an hour or two of sleep. She still had bad spells here and there — that was what the Ambien was for — but, for the most part, she hadn't had <em>too</em> much trouble resting in a long time.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the sight of the gunman, in addition to taking edibles laced with melatonin in the middle of the afternoon in a darkened living space, wreaked havoc on her system. An hour or two barely conscious here, another three wide awake… and extremely paranoid.</p>
<p>At some point she called Yuri in a bit of a stupor, told her what happened at the bar, and then fell asleep mid-sentence, but not before affirming that she didn't need company. She was jarred awake a little later by a call from Mai (whose ringtone was damn near impossible to sleep through). The kunoichi had been given a sitrep by Yuri, and stayed on the phone with King as she tried — and failed — to relax enough to eat something. After that, King spent the rest of the evening pacing around the apartment, shadowboxing in the living room, and watching the door like a hawk. When she finally (and reluctantly) fell asleep for the night she dreamt of terrible things:</p>
<p>The first nightmare was of the gunman breaking into her apartment, shooting her cat dead, and then placing two bullets in her gut. He taunted her with awful statements about how damaged — how <em>tarnished — </em>she was, and laughed while she slowly bled out on the living room floor.</p>
<p>Another nightmare saw the gunman strategically shooting her in non-lethal parts of her body as his accomplice — who somehow had use of both legs — kept her pinned face-down on her dining room table as he violated her once again. One bullet in the knee so she couldn't use her kicks; another through her hand, through her elbow, through her shoulder… on and on it went until she was finally put out of her misery with a point blank shot to the head that woke her up at 4:33 AM. Breathing ragged and shirt damp with sweat, she bolted into the bathroom and dry heaved over the toilet for several minutes. When she was done she trudged right back to the living room and parked herself on the couch, where she stared at the door, wide awake.</p>
<p>That bastard was <em>not</em> going to get the drop on her.</p>
<p>###</p>
<p>Suddenly it was 10:26 AM and King was slowly opening her eyes, groggy. Slumped over the arm of the sofa, her neck was stiff and one of her arms was numb from where her weight had pushed on it for hours. She didn't even remember putting her head down but it didn't matter because <em>Killer Queen</em> was blaring from her phone (which was in the bedroom) while her doorbell rang over and over again. King hastily bolted upright as it occurred to her that the gunman might have been outside her apartment — and Mary might have been calling to warn her. With that in mind she jumped to her feet and carefully approached the door; her hands shook as she placed them flat on the smooth surface so she could look through the small peephole. She held her breath… and immediately let loose a massive sigh of relief before pulling the door open.</p>
<p>"Mary!? What are you —"<br/>
"I have a surprise for you," Mary, who was holding her phone up to her ear, said quickly as she sauntered into the apartment. She ended the call (the music in the bedroom abruptly stopped), removed her outerwear, and asked, "Where's your laptop?"<br/>
"Coffee table," King answered. "Why?"<br/>
"You'll see," Mary beamed as she sat down on the living room floor. She logged into King's computer and waited for everything to load up properly before pulling a USB drive from her pocket.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?"<br/>
"I <em>said</em> you'll <em>see</em>," Mary answered. "Sit!"<br/>
"Can I at least brush my teeth first?"<br/>
"This is more important than dental hygiene, bb."<br/>
"Somehow I doubt that."</p>
<p>Mary turned and gave King a pointed look.</p>
<p>"Okay, fine — just hurry up!"</p>
<p>King frowned as she made her way to the bathroom. She sped through her routine, and, when she realized how badly her deodorant was failing (probably thanks to all that sweating during the night), elected to have a quick shower before going back out to Mary, who probably wouldn't mind anyway. She turned the water on, stripped down, and stepped into the stall. Almost the <em>second</em> she raised her face to the steaming water the curtain was forcefully pulled back by Mary, who looked like she was about to have a conniption fit.</p>
<p>"What the hell are you doing?!" she exclaimed. "Bb, this is —"<br/>
"Mary," King said with a sigh, "I had a terrible night. Please let me have this."<br/>
"Okay, that really sucks and I'm sorry but you know what? I <em>guarantee</em> that you're about to have a fabulous morning."<br/>
"Can't you just tell me what this is about?" King asked while turning to wet her hair.<br/>
"Pffft, <em>no</em>," came Mary's reply. She closed the curtain, and then:</p>
<p>"Look, I don't wanna be <em>that</em> person, but be quick!"</p>
<p>With a groan King reached for her shampoo.</p>
<p>"I don't understand why you won't tell me what this is about," she grumbled. She waited for Mary to respond, but was met with silence.</p>
<p>"...Mare?"</p>
<p>King peeked her head out from behind the flower-printed veil; Mary was no longer in the bathroom. She made a face as she resumed washing, but stopped when she heard a very loud, very distinct series of popping noises over the water. Curious, she picked up the pace; she rinsed, turned everything off, and stepped out just in time to hear the beeping of the microwave.</p>
<p>What the hell was Mary doing out there?!</p>
<p>King dried off. She threw on undergarments in record time, grabbed some shorts and a top, and rushed out to the living room, where she was met with the smell of butter in the air. At that exact moment Mary emerged from the kitchen holding a huge bowl of popcorn; she smirked as she looked King up and down.</p>
<p>"Hey there you sexy minx. Ready?"<br/>
"Obviously not. Can I finish getting —"<br/>
"No, do it over there."</p>
<p>With that, Mary shoved the popcorn bowl into King's arms, moved behind her, and placed her hands on her shoulders so she could steer her over to the armchair on the other side of the living room. She sat her down before moving to the floor so she could pull the laptop closer.</p>
<p>"You're gonna love this," the officer declared as she bounced up and down, her face showing unbridled glee.<br/>
"Is it porn?"<br/>
"What?"</p>
<p>Brow furrowed, King set the popcorn aside so she could put her shirt on.</p>
<p>"It's porn isn't it."<br/>
"Pffft. It's way better —" Mary flashed a wide grin while clicking on a lone icon on the screen — "now watch!"</p>
<p>The video opened up with an establishing shot of… asphalt…? King was greeted with naught but a gray blur, which was quite animated as the camera appeared to be moving around erratically. The longer she looked at it, the more her eyes grew uncomfortable from the prolonged distortion. Hints of yellow… it must have been the lines on the road.</p>
<p>"I don't… what is this?" King inquired while she scratched her head. Suddenly painfully aware that she hadn't eaten since the evening before, she went in for a piece of popcorn, scarfing it down with barely a chew.</p>
<p>"Patience, young grasshopper," Mary responded in a dreamy tone. "All will be revealed shortly…"</p>
<p>King didn't say anything as she dug into the popcorn once more.</p>
<p>It took awhile for the picture to clear up. Soon, a strange pair of feet came into focus. The owner of said feet was clearly walking down the street, headed for some unknown location. After several extended minutes of walking, the camera finally panned up as the movement stopped to reveal their destination: a vehicle. Mystified by the bizarre scene, King quirked a brow.</p>
<p>"Seriously, Mare. What <em>is</em> this?!"<br/>
"Stop asking questions and watch."</p>
<p>The next part of the video piqued King's interest, but not enough to outweigh her confusion. It became obvious that the vehicle on camera did not belong to the person filming, as large hands applied a lock pick to the driver's side window and started fiddling around. The owner of the hands must have been talented, because they seemed to work with great precision as opposed to sloppily fumbling about.</p>
<p>"So… I'm watching someone break into a car," King deduced with a frown.</p>
<p>Mary hummed in response and gestured toward the display: The person (man?) gained access seconds later; he opened the door and crawled into the driver's seat. The image became a little blurry but the man appeared to… not secure himself in the front? King could hear the door shut and the lock re-engage, but the camera didn't settle down again until several seconds later. It was hard to see, but the man seemed to have climbed into the backseat.</p>
<p>...Then came the waiting game.</p>
<p>Time ticked by, but nothing of note was happening. The guy with the camera must have been dead asleep, because it wasn't moving — not even in the slightest bit. The only thing that was noticeable was how the orange hue outside slowly began to fade…</p>
<p>Before long, it was clear that night had fallen. The screen was completely black, and the only way King knew the video was still going was by the subtle signs of a live recording: the slight fuzziness, the outside sounds. The little details. She nearly jumped when something on the screen finally showed signs of life: the distinct sound of air rushing into the car via an open door, the rustling of someone climbing into the front, followed by the loud THUNK of a closed door.</p>
<p>And then… the screen went green. King, who abruptly became unsettled, figured that the camera's night mode must have been activated. For some reason she felt like she was going to lose sleep over whatever it was she was about to see. She tensed up when she heard the first spoken word on the video:</p>
<p>"Boo."</p>
<p>All at once the image went completely <em>crazy </em>— which was probably an understatement. The screen started moving again, blindingly, with nothing discernible except black and green. But there was definitely a scream.</p>
<p>"MMRRGH! MMRRPH! MMRRPH WHATTHEFU-MMRRRPH!"</p>
<p>Whatever was happening sounded like it must have been an absolute brawl, as nothing inside the close quarters could actually be seen. After several moments of the chaotic noise and camera work, the car door opened, and the action continued. <em>Somehow</em>, this person was still recording while managing to also tangle with the other guy.</p>
<p>"WHO THE FUCK A-MMRRPHRRRmmph…"</p>
<p>The car-owner's voice shouted in defiance, but a thud was heard seconds later, indicating he either fell… or was put down. The same chilling (but vaguely familiar?) voice that started the video spoke once again:</p>
<p>"I'm Peter fucking Popoff, here to sell ya a miracle."</p>
<p>The camera went dark.</p>
<p>Was that it?</p>
<p>No — it couldn't be. King leaned forward so she could reach the touchpad on the computer. She moved the cursor, ready to give the playback bar life but stopped; judging by the timer there was still plenty of time left. Seconds ticked away, though nothing could be seen or heard. Just… a black screen. King furrowed her brow and looked at Mary, who simply grinned at her.</p>
<p>A minute ticked by. Another. Another…</p>
<p>...Until at last the picture was restored. King's mouth dropped open when she saw the face — the <em>terrified</em> face — looking into the camera.</p>
<p>"That's…!"</p>
<p>She didn't have long to look at him before a fist flew forth and crashed into his jaw, knocking the man flat to the ground.</p>
<p>"Agh! Fuck! Guh.. get away from me — no no NOOOOO —"</p>
<p>She kept watching as he let out a piercing yell: the cameraman had brought his shoe down on the back of his victim's left knee, turning his leg in an abnormal direction. King heard a loud POP and her jaw clenched as she imagined the bone dislocating…</p>
<p>The camera panned down; that… <em>guy</em>… was on his stomach, fingers clawing desperately on the sidewalk, as he attempted to crawl away.</p>
<p>"Scurry, scurry. Hehehehehe. Go on, mate. I'll give you a ten second head start. One… two… three…"</p>
<p>With each number uttered from the disembodied voice, the grounded man's attempts grew more and more desperate. His limbs flailed wildly, like he was struggling underwater. He even managed to get to one leg for a moment before panic made his movements sloppy and he fell back down.</p>
<p>"Aaaaaaand ten."<br/>
"No, please NOOOOOoooooooooooo...!"</p>
<p>The man howled as the cameraman outstretched an arm with <em>blinding</em> speed (King did a double take and nearly threw the popcorn bowl when she saw his arm fly) and snatched the man, lifting him up with ease. He spun him around until he was facing the camera once more. Who it was was undeniable. King had to pause the video for a moment to just… <em>look</em> — to take in every feature, every disgusting detail of his identity. The face of the man who took such pleasure in controlling her… terrifying her… now the shoe seemed to be on the other foot.</p>
<p>"Mary, what —" she set the popcorn aside — "what <em>is</em> this?!"<br/>
"Shhhh —" Mary brought herself up to the side of the chair so she could gently put a finger to King's lips — "Click play."</p>
<p>It took a moment to process what was happening, but King eventually resumed the video. The very next thing she saw was the face of the man — the man who had haunted her dreams — getting slammed repeatedly into a large, metal dumpster.</p>
<p>"Merde…!"</p>
<p>One, two, three, four…</p>
<p>After the fifth time, the cameraman presented the gunman's face forward again: his lip was split open, nose bent sideways, a cut over his left eyebrow. Blood was pouring from all three orifices.</p>
<p>"P-please… puh, puh-p-please…" the gunman begged, red flying from his lips.<br/>
"Stop spittin' on me, dude."</p>
<p>A knee to his stomach made the gunman yelp and hunch over, knees bent, until he collapsed on his butt. The cameraman's shoe put him down the rest of the way as he knocked him to the ground and started stomping him against the cold concrete. After a good minute or two of stomping the gunman, the camera started lowering… The cameraman must have gotten ground-level, as his arm flew out and snatched the gunman by the shirt, dragging him forward, until finally, he propped him up against the dumpster, where he coughed repeatedly.</p>
<p>"Who… who are you," he rasped between each hack.<br/>
"Bored."<br/>
"You… motherfu — COUGHCOUGHCOUGHkkk… my boss will —"</p>
<p>The hand outstretched and cupped the gunman's chin, squeezing his cheeks inwards until they bulged against his eyes.</p>
<p>"Your boss? Your <em>boss</em>?! Oooooh noooo — not Mr. Boss Man! Ohh, <em>yikes</em> — I've done it now!"</p>
<p>With a mocking laugh the cameraman forcefully let go of his victim's face, shoving his head backwards against the metal behind him.</p>
<p>"You fucked with… the wrong guy… B-Big will —"<br/>
"Big? Hehehehehehe! BIG?! HAAHAHAHAHAHA! You think I'm fuckin' scared of Big?! Why don't you call Big out here right now so I can shove that fucking cue ball's head neck-deep up his own ass?! I bet it'd go in REEEEEAL smooth…!"<br/>
"F-fuck you!"</p>
<p>King (who was pretty sure she knew the identity of the cameraman...) tensed up when she saw what came next: the hand disappeared from the screen, and was followed by the sound of fumbling. The man behind the camera was clearly searching for something.</p>
<p>"Ooh! Oooooh what's he got now, folks?!" The sarcastic voice of the concealed man commentated as his hand came back into view… and within his grasp…</p>
<p>King's skin grew frigid but no force on the planet could tear her away from the laptop screen. She was now <em>certain</em> of the camerman's identity… which meant that things were about to get <em>very</em> interesting. Gruesome, even. She focused on the screen and just… watched the gunman tremble as his eyes fixated on <em>it</em>: an eight-inch blade, shimmering from the moonlight bouncing off the shiny metal. It was twirled around slowly… almost as if the cameraman was exhibiting the tool before using it for whatever dark purpose it served.</p>
<p>"H-h-h-hey! Hey l-let's talk a minute… l-let's TALK..!"<br/>
"Awwwww sorry. You caught me at a bad time. I'm all talked out. <em>This</em> baby though… she's <em>starving</em> for conversation."<br/>
"NOOOOO!"</p>
<p>The gunman tried to scramble to his feet. The camera got a little blurry from the hasty motions, but King heard a blood curdling scream a second later… and she could only shudder as she imagined what must have happened.</p>
<p>The camera re-focused then, and King witnessed the cameraman's large hand removing the knife from where he had planted it — in the gunman's foot. Her face twisted when she saw the stain on the once-clean steel…</p>
<p>"Now then… We come to the main event of the evening," the cameraman spoke once more. "Tell you what. I'm gonna give you a special TV offer: lose one thing, lose another free with your paid order!"<br/>
"S-stop! Please! W-why are you doing this?!"<br/>
"Hehehehe... why. Why why why… so many people ask me that, ya know? 'Whyyy whyyy ohhh whyyyyy are you doing this, ooooh goodness gracious meeeeee?!' Well my answer is always the same: if I'm here right now, doing this to you… you probably already know."</p>
<p>King swallowed hard while the knife grew closer… closer…</p>
<p>"P-please! PLEASE!" the gunman was straight up crying. "I'll give you ANYTHING! Y-you don't have to do this. You don't have to do this. YOU DON'T HAVE TO FUCKING DO THIS, PLEASE! PLEASE!"<br/>
"Well of course I don't! Circumstances just kinda put me here, though. So what'll it be? Nose? Ears?"</p>
<p>The gunman's wails grew louder; unsettling moans from his lungs permeated King's ears.</p>
<p>"Clock's a' ticking, buckeroo. I'm about to decide for you."<br/>
"Pleeeeeease… pleeeeeeease…"<br/>
"Okay then. Fine. I gave you a chance."<br/>
"<strong>NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO —"</strong></p>
<p>The video ended there.</p>
<p>King sat, back rigid, in stunned silence for a good two minutes before she finally attempted to even move.</p>
<p>"Mary," she intoned quietly as her eyes shifted to the other woman. "What the fuck was that…?"<br/>
"<em>That</em>," Mary responded quite joyfully, "was a gift, bb. From me to you. You're welcome."<br/>
"A… 'gift,'" King echoed dully.<br/>
"Well, yeah! So? What'd you think?!"</p>
<p>There was more silence as King realized that she was gripping her shorts, which she never had the chance to slip on, in her hand so tightly that her fingers were almost numb. She slowly released her hold on the crumpled fabric, stood up, and tried to process what she had watched.</p>
<p>"Are you mad?" Mary asked, wide-eyed, as she rose to her own feet and approached King. "Please don't be mad…!"<br/>
"Cette voix," King began slowly. "Et ce couteau…"</p>
<p>She pressed her lips together in a very thin line as she pulled her shorts on. She then crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the floor.</p>
<p>"That was Yamazaki."<br/>
"Yep."<br/>
"I just… watched the son of a bitch who put a gun to my head and helped kidnap me… get beaten up by Ryuji Yamazaki."<br/>
"...Yep."<br/>
"<em>You</em> had… Ryuji… fucking… <em>Yamazaki</em>… go after the <em>son of a bitch who put a gun to my head</em> and helped <em>kidnap</em> me."<br/>
"Correct."</p>
<p>King furrowed her brow. She then put her arms out before letting them fall limply to her sides.</p>
<p>"<em>Why</em>?!"<br/>
"You're really gonna stand there and ask '<em>why</em>?!'" Mary responded incredulously.<br/>
"YES!"<br/>
"Bb! I wasn't gonna sit around and let this guy terrorize you again!"<br/>
"And neither was I," King retorted. "I can fight my own battles!"<br/>
"Are you sure about that?!"<br/>
"What the hell does <em>that</em> mean?!"<br/>
"It's… I don't mean it in a weird way," Mary hastily stated. "I know that you're fully capable of taking care of yourself but —"<br/>
"Exactly! I can take care of myself! I can't — <em>you</em> can't," King sputtered.<br/>
"Can't what?"<br/>
"You can't keep jeopardizing yourself for me! I'm not <em>worth</em> this!"<br/>
"Are we really gonna have this argument?!"<br/>
"What argument?!" King exclaimed. "You've nearly lost your badge I don't know how many times, and you and Terry haven't been the same since — and… I mean… now — now <em>Yamazaki</em>…?! What is <em>this</em> going to cost you?!"<br/>
"Nothing," Mary assured her calmly. "Because I got the 'Teammate Discount.'"</p>
<p>There was silence as King suddenly pivoted so she could walk into the kitchen, where she pulled a bottle of pills from one of the cabinets, and a DoubleShot out of the refrigerator. She didn't know what to think: the video was shocking, and horrifying, but, at the same time… kind of great. To <em>see</em> that person suffer was, honestly, a little cathartic. However, Mary had, once again, come through for her in a way that she would <em>never</em> be able to make up to her. The cop had, once again, put <em>herself</em> in jeopardy — not for her own benefit — and, even though it was <em>incredibly</em> moving, King couldn't grasp <em>why</em>. Why was <em>she</em> worth taking such huge risks?</p>
<p>"Come on, Céc — don't be mad!"<br/>
"I'm not mad," King replied. She threw her head back so she could swallow her medication and made a face as one of the chalky pills caught on the back of her throat.<br/>
"If you're not mad then what's the deal?" Mary prodded carefully. "Because you don't seem <em>happy</em>..."</p>
<p>King silently leaned her back against the counter, opened her drink, and took a huge swig of it. Meanwhile, Mary stood, somewhat unsettled by the fact that her friend — whom she knew <em>extremely</em> well — hadn't given any <em>clear</em> indicator of acceptance... <em>or</em> "oh my god you fucking monster."</p>
<p>There was complete silence as Mary peered over at King from her place just outside the kitchen. The other woman had stopped drinking and was just… looking at the can in her hand, a far-off expression in her sapphire eyes. Out of nowhere her lips slightly curled upwards, as if she was trying to manage the utter minimum of a smile. She let out a low chuckle, and Mary knew that she had her.</p>
<p>"Bb…?"<br/>
"This is… <em>fantastic</em>!" King declared while setting her drink down. "That asshole got what he deserved!"<br/>
"So you're <em>definitely</em> not mad?"<br/>
"No! I <em>am</em> a little disappointed that <em>I</em> couldn't be the one to tear him apart, but… what you did… what you had Yamazaki do… it means a lot to me. I just… I'm having trouble understanding <em>why</em> you —"<br/>
"Because I like you and I love you and I know you would do the same for me."<br/>
"Without hesitation. But aren't you worried that —"<br/>
"Nope."<br/>
"Mare…"<br/>
"<em>Trust</em> me! He does this for a living. He'll disappear, nothing gets back to me, we go on with our wonderfully fulfilling lives, and Big's collective crew will know that bad shit can happen to them at a moment's notice. They'll think twice before remembering that you even <em>exist</em>."</p>
<p>King considered her friend's words carefully. She didn't quite know what to expect from Big or his crew, but she trusted Mary. And if Mary trusted that Yamazaki's influence would keep the Syndicate far away from her, then who was she to argue? She pressed her lips together and thought about what she saw: every little detail — and how <em>satisfying</em> it was to know that that asshole had been given a lesson in intimidation that he would never forget. She stooped to pick up her cat, Marron, who was rubbing against her legs, and started stroking his fur.</p>
<p>"You look like an evil mastermind," Mary commented.<br/>
"That would be <em>you</em>."</p>
<p>There was a brief pause while King rested her chin against the top of Marron's head. She then turned her attention back to Mary, who was staring at the cat with a wrinkled nose.</p>
<p>"Yamazaki... <em>really</em> fucked him up..." King stated thoughtfully.<br/>
"Oh, he <em>did</em>," Mary responded, her face instantly lighting up. "And he gave me aaalllllllll the steamy details. Couldn't stop laughing about it!"<br/>
"You or him?"</p>
<p>Mary grinned.</p>
<p>"Did he really lose something?" King queried.<br/>
"Oh," Mary said. "Yeah. Totally."<br/>
"What was it?"</p>
<p>With a coy smile Mary held up both of her index fingers and wriggled them a few times.</p>
<p>King nearly dropped the cat, but stopped herself from letting him fall at the last second. She carefully placed the startled feline down, allowing him a clean escape before she slowly rose back up… and burst into a fit of giggles.</p>
<p>"Putain, t'es sérieux?!"<br/>
"Ouais," Mary sang before breaking out into her own giggles. She then cocked an eyebrow.</p>
<p>"Is he good? Eh? <em>Eh</em>?"<br/>
"He's fucking <em>good</em>."<br/>
"He <em>is</em> fucking good…!"</p>
<p>King abruptly stopped laughing, all at once overtaken by morbid curiosity.</p>
<p>"...what do you think he did with them? The fingers."</p>
<p>Mary started laughing harder.</p>
<p>"I don't know if you <em>really</em> wanna know..."<br/>
"Try me."</p>
<p>###</p>
<p>Later that night Mary sat in her apartment, her dog, Anton, sleeping near her feet. In one hand was a vanilla milkshake (she was <em>so</em> thankful that In-N-Out had remained open through the public health crisis…); her other hand held her phone up to her ear.</p>
<p>"I trust I don't need to send you a survey to rate your satisfaction level."</p>
<p>Mary casually sipped on the cold beverage while looking up toward the ceiling.</p>
<p>"Pffft," she answered. "I'm satisfied. Sh — <em>they're</em> satisfied. Everyone's satisfied! I'd say it was a raging success…!"<br/>
"So what's next for you then? Clock in, have a cup, polish the ol' badge... go back to being a hero?"<br/>
"A hero…"</p>
<p>Mary trailed off, fixed her pale eyes on the floor, and frowned. Breaking limbs, kneecapping, committing assault… hiring a notorious psychopath to do violence she couldn't… In the eyes of the law she had sworn to uphold she wasn't a hero — not even close. It was because of that fact that she stayed silent.</p>
<p>"Hehehehehe... ahh Miss Mary Ryan... you know it's gonna torture me. I'll spend many a sleepless night wondering, just wondering... what could a human being have possibly done, to earn what you asked for? The curiosity will drive me a little MAD…"</p>
<p>Yamazaki's voice carried its usual maniacal, care-free tone, but Mary knew that he was legitimately curious.</p>
<p>"What he did doesn't matter," she retorted sharply. "It's what he might have done with his freedom — which he wasn't even supposed to have in the first place. It's what he might have <em>tried</em>."<br/>
"'Might?' Pretty bold word there, Blue. Easy to say what one 'might' do; hell, he <em>might've</em> become the world typing champion someday. I just know what you definitely <em>did</em> do. Just hope you can sleep with it, s'all. You've never been the calloused piece of dried leather I am."<br/>
"Don't worry, Ryuji," Mary stated coolly. "I'll be able to sleep just fine...!"</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>An eerie… silence.</p>
<p>What was he doing on the other end of that line? Measuring her? Judging her? Perhaps the more important question was… would she call him out over it? Just how accountable was the man <em>really</em>, when <em>she</em> put that knife in his hand and told him to swing away?</p>
<p>Finally, a response:</p>
<p>"Eh. Good enough for me."</p>
<p>A series of beeps indicated that the call was over.</p>
<p>Mary stared at her screen; her eyes seemed to linger for just a second longer than normal before she finally set the phone aside and returned to the fries she had set aside when she took the call. She picked one up and popped it into her mouth, savoring the salty taste (not so much the crisp, as it had lost that minutes ago). At some point, she found herself zoning out. Another fry came, another… another… until she was no longer even tasting them, just mechanically scarfing them down, one at a time. She thought about Ryuji's final words…</p>
<p>...How <em>would</em> she sleep tonight?</p>
<p>She stuck her fingers into the fry tray, only to feel nothing: they were gone. With a small sigh, she looked to her milkshake instead: still half full at least. She pressed it to her lips, and began to slowly sip… making sure to drag it out as long as possible, and enjoy every drop. Instinctively, her eyes found the television remote; she picked it up and sought out the late night movie channels, looking for even the most droning piece of cinema to stimulate her mind.</p>
<p>Needless to say, she wasn't <em>quite</em> ready for bed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And, there you have it! As always it is I, illy, here to hit you with just a couple of small notes:</p>
<p>* I don't think I have to explain how King and Mary and the bro-est of the bros, but if you look at their actions, you should be able to see how close they are immediately.<br/>* Peter Popoff is a televangelist who sells "Miracle Spring Water." Look him up.<br/>* "Merde" = shit<br/>* "Cette voix" = that voice; "et ce couteau" = and that knife<br/>* As a result of her trauma and PTSD, King must now take daily medication<br/>* "Putain, t'es sérieux" = are you fucking serious; Ouais = yeah<br/>* In-n-Out Burger is a west coast burger chain that serves some bomb-ass food, particularly their fries.<br/>* Remember kiddies: there's still a global pandemic going on...</p>
<p>Okay, party people. Hope you enjoyed this installment of... things! jojo and I were very pleased to work together to bring it to you, and we hope that we provided some semblance of entertainment for you all! Lets us know how we did!</p>
<p>As always, we would greatly appreciate favs and reviews. I might even share my Liberty Brew with you. It's limited time only. Special stuff. Love you all!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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